This invention relates to a roof top carrier, and more particularly to a roof top carrier designed particularly for recreational vehicles and motor homes and allows for convenient loading and unloading of equipment and luggage stored in the rooftop carrier.
Recreational vehicles and motor homes have become quite popular for long distance traveling and vacationing. Because the interior of these vehicles is somewhat limited and is as used for both sleeping and daytime activities, there is a need to provide extra storage space wherever possible. Roof top carriers have been developed that utilize the roof of the motor home as additional storage space.
Users of motor homes currently gain access to roof storage by climbing an access ladder on the rear of the motor home and carefully stepping along the unencumbered space near the roof storage position. After the roof load is accessed in this manner the secondary problem is to retrieve the load and return to the street level. This access to roof storage provides some hazard to the user with the danger of falling from a significant height and the hazard increases in bad weather.
In order to more conveniently and safely both load and unload the equipment or luggage stored in the roof top carriers on the motor home, it is necessary to provide an apparatus that raises and lowers the equipment and luggage between the ground and the storage position on the roof of the motor home. A number of lifting mechanisms and extending mechanisms have been proposed. Some are power operated by hydraulics and others by electric motors. In order to properly function as a roof top carrier, it is important that the carrier be able to handle a heavy load on a motor home roof and move the distances necessary to clear the side of the motor home during loading and unloading and to lower the load from the extensive height of the motor home roof to the street access height.
The roof top carrier should allow for a horizontal movement of the load from the storage position over the center of the roof of the motor home to an extended position at the side of the motor home. Then the load should be moved vertically to a location at or near ground level. It is preferable that these movements be independent and that the vertical movement be restricted so that it cannot take place until the drop cradle is clear of the motor home. Similarly, the horizontal movement should be restricted so that it cannot occur until the drop cradle is fully raised to prevent the load from hitting the side of the motor home.
The roof top carrier should also be a low profile mechanism so as not to add to the height of the motor home, yet still achieve the desired result of moving the load approximately six feet from the roof of the motor home to a location at or near the ground adjacent the side of the motor home.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a roof top carrier suitable for use on motor homes and recreational vehicles that safely stores equipment and luggage on the top of the motor home and mechanically allows storage and retrieval of the equipment and luggage without the necessity of climbing onto the roof of the motor home.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a roof top carrier that has a roof top platform that telescopes horizontally to a position adjacent to the side of the motor home and a drop cradle that raises and lowers vertically between the top of the motor home and ground level by means of a scissor mechanism. Two independent motors operate the horizontal roof top platform and the vertical drop cradle. An electrical control system allows remote control operation of the roof top carrier.
It is an advantage of the present invention that equipment and luggage can be conveniently stored on the roof of a motor home. Access to the equipment and luggage is by means of a remote controlled roof top carrier that automatically stores and retrieves the equipment and luggage so that the user does not have to climb onto the roof of the motor home.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.